High-strung young drama queens can find a lot to love in this, and adults forced to read along may chuckle at the campy...
The first in a cheery series for developing readers, this colorful story is a pastry-fueled romp through the cutthroat world of mythological divas-to-be.
Louie the Unicorn is bored with his perfect life in Story Land. When an advertisement for the New York School of Performing Arts blows through the forest (rather like a fart), he guilt-trips his parents into giving their blessing, takes a silver rowboat to the Staten Island Ferry, and pursues his dreams of becoming a “supersized New York superstar.” After a brief cupcake-and-doughnut diversion, Louie befriends the other fairy-tale creatures at school: mermaid Miranda, Frank the troll (who brings out Louie’s troll-related prejudices), and Danny the faun. Louie also hero-worships heartthrob Arnie—who would be happy as the only unicorn in showbiz—and creates an off-site song-and-dance extravaganza despite Arnie’s attempts at sabotage. Large text is punctuated by purposely cutesy yet expressive drawings of white people and white-appearing mythological creatures (only one illustration includes two background characters with dark-shaded faces). Many of the drawings are superimposed over city photographs, and red text highlights periodic “B-u-u-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp”s, song titles, and emotional outbursts. Louie’s tongue-in-cheek enthusiasm is manically upbeat, with an entertaining lack of self-awareness.
High-strung young drama queens can find a lot to love in this, and adults forced to read along may chuckle at the campy subtext. (Fantasy. 5-9)Pub Date: May 30, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-05508-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts.
Can knightly deeds bring together a feathered odd couple who are on opposite daily schedules?
Having won over a dragon (and millions of fans) in the Caldecott Honor–winning Knight Owl (2022), the fierce yet impossibly cute nocturnal, armor-clad owlet faces a new challenge—sleep deprivation—in the wake of taking on Early Bird, a trainee who rises with the sun and chatters interminably: “I made pancakes! Do you like pancakes? I love pancakes! Where’s the syrup?” It’s enough to test the patience of even the knightliest of owls, and eventually Knight Owl explodes in anger. But although Early Bird is even smaller than her mentor, she turns out to be just as determined to achieve knighthood. After he tells her to leave, she acquits herself so nobly in a climactic encounter with a pack of wolves that she earns a place at the castle. Denise proves a dab hand at depicting genuinely slinky, scary wolves as well as slipping cheerfully anachronistic newspapers and other sight gags into his realistically wrought medieval settings to underscore the tale’s tongue-in-cheek tone. Better yet, a final view of the doughty duo sitting down together to a lavish pancake breakfast/dinner at dusk ends the episode in a sweet rush of syrup and bonhomie.
An immersive, charming read and convincing proof again that even small bodies can house stout hearts. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780316564526
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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